AP photoPortland Timbers players celebrate with the Cascadia Cup after defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 in an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday. The trophy was created by fans of the Timbers, Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders and is awarded to the best soccer team in the Pacific Northwest each MLS season. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck)

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Winning the Cascadia Cup may not resonate beyond the Pacific Northwest, but the achievement will have far-reaching effects for the Portland Timbers.

The pain and repercussions of a difficult 2012 season won't be completely erased by winning the Cup and there will be significant changes during the offseason. But ending the season - the Timbers have one game remaining - by reaching what was a major goal for the franchise will give the team a springboard for the 2013 season.

"It's been a long season for the organization. While (the win) doesn't remove some of the things that happened over the course of the season, it's a positive," said Gavin Wilkinson, Timbers general manager and interim coach. "It's something that we can take into next season."

Incoming coach Caleb Porter has been analyzing and evaluating games, and he'll be taking a long look at the team's performance against Vancouver. The backline and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts played very well in the shutout against the Whitecaps and the team overall displayed some patience and maturity.

Going into the game, the Timbers and Wilkinson were under tremendous pressure to win after the demoralizing loss at Seattle Oct. 7.

"We had a rough one against Seattle and the last two weeks all we could think about was this game," midfielder Sal Zizzo said.

The Timbers' win provided Wilkinson with a bit of redemption and will blunt - just a little and only temporarily - the relentless criticism he has faced since becoming interim coach July 9.